Well, Life's Funny That Way
by Shimegami
Summary: *Chapter Three Up* It all started with a simple question. What if the incident in Lahan never occured? But simple questions never have simple answers....*yaoi, rating subject to change for later chapters*
1. Chapter One

Well, Life's Funny That Way  
  
By: Shimegami  
  
Warnings: Yaoi, AU, maybe sappy  
  
Disclaimer: Not mine. Don't sue.  
  
AN: It all started with a simple question.....what would happen if the incident at Lahan never happened? But simple questions never have simple answers...ack...x_X This idea appeared to me late one night after playing Xenogears for about 18 hours straight. It sat there in the back of my head, bugging me until now, when I was forced to write it down. Enjoy the product of my RPG-crazed sleep-deprived mind....  
  
Chapter One  
  
"....Well, first of all, I should probably mention the single fact that people are stupid. Oh yes, one person by himself may be brilliant, but stick him in a crowd of other people and you have a milling mass disturbingly similar to a herd of cattle. People as a whole are idiots. I wonder if that's why Solaris was able to manipulate us so easily? Or maybe it was because of the fact that we all wanted someone strong to blindly lead us on our way...."  
  
-From the memoirs of the late Bartholomew Fatima (AN: I'll write these one day)  
  
~***~  
  
It dawned bright and clear, perfect for the ceremony to take place that day. Everyone in the village was up earlier than usual, making last-minute preperations. The cooks were preparing the wedding feast, the "council" making the last decorations ready. The sun sun was barely off of the horizon and Lahan was full of bustling activity.  
  
It was that unusual activity that awoke one Fei Fong Wong from his slumber. He yawned, turned over, and tried desperately to remember why everyone was making such a racket so early.  
  
Oh yeah! Alice's wedding! He sat bolt upright and cursed himself for being lazy. Clambering out of bed, he reached for his clothes and hurriedly got dressed, still tying his waistband as he ran out of the house. Now that he wasn't wasting time in his bed, the sense of urgency stilled and he leisurely walked towards the middle of the village, tying his ponytail back with instinctive movements.  
  
Chief Lee was standing by the well, directing the busy workers. Fei stepped up next to the old man, waiting until the chief noticed his presence.  
  
"John! Hoist those flowers a little higher! Yes, right there! Sam, careful with those! Those were shipped all the way from Nisan, we can't get anymore!"  
  
The old man continued giving orders to the villagers, not seeing Fei. Fei's mouth twitched with irritation, and he stepped back. No use just standing there if he wasn't going to be noticed. He was milling about, giving a hand to those who needed one, when a flash of familiar green caught his eye.  
  
"Doc!"  
  
The tall man turned at the sound of the informal title, and smiled softly as he saw Fei come running up to him.  
  
"Why, good morning Fei! Do you not have anything to do?"  
  
Fei's face scrunched up a little, indicating his displeasure at being a deadweight.  
  
"No, Chief Lee didn't notice me, and I couldn't get his attention. I've been trying to help out, but everything's so well organized that I really don't have anything to do."  
  
Citan Uzuki smiled wider at Fei's words.  
  
"Well then, I am in luck! It turns out that I need your help with setting up the camera equipment, Fei."  
  
The young man brightened at Citan's words. He didn't like being in the way, he really didn't.  
  
"Okay, Doc!"  
  
With that cheery proclamation, the two headed for where Citan had halfway set up the camera.  
  
~***~  
  
As Fei cheerfully hauled the "neccesary" materials towards the camera site, Citan paused for a moment and studied the young man with narrowed eyes. Fei was growing stronger with every passing day, his physical strength nearly the equal of the strongest men in the village. It was true that his martial arts gave him an advantage, but Fei truly lacked in the battle experience department. It was something Citan needed to remedy, and soon. If Lahan was caught in a battle, Fei musn't be allowed to lose his head....lest "he" awaken....  
  
"Hey Doc! I got it all set up like you asked me! What do I do now?"  
  
The cheerful voice jarred Citan out of his thoughts and back to the present. He gave Fei a small smile, and stepped up next to the youth's side.  
  
"Now, look here, Fei. You connect it like so...."  
  
~***~  
  
"The contact is no threat to us."  
  
"He is secluded from the world. All he knows is that small place."  
  
"According to Cain, Hyuga is there and has it under control."  
  
"And the Antitype...?"  
  
"She has been registered in the military. She will be going nowhere."  
  
"So it is decided..."  
  
"Yes. We shall leave the contact alone. It is no threat to let him have a normal life for once."  
  
"Let us leave Hyuga in charge of the contact. He has done a superb job so far, and the contact has become attached to him."  
  
"What if "he" awakens?"  
  
"We will deal with that if it happens. For now, the contact is not a concern to us."  
  
"Hyuga will take care of it."  
  
"Yes, Hyuga will take of it. And him."  
  
"Then let our plan begin."  
  
~***~  
  
Alice really looked beautiful in her wedding dress, Fei decided wistfully. He may have grown out of his crush on her, but old habits died hard. She still was the prettiest girl in the village. Maybe, when it had been announced, he had felt jealousy towards Timothy, but now all he felt was happiness. As long as they were happy, that was all that mattered.  
  
Citan was angling the camera to get a good picture of Timothy and Alice in the ceremonial wedding clothes. Fei watched as the doctor concentrated on the task at hand, a slight crease forming at his brow as he furrowed his eyebrows in concetration. Doc said he was twenty-nine, but he really didn't show it. Fei had been really surprised when he had shown up with a wife and kid, claiming to be the doctor the town was waiting for.  
  
He remembered that day with embarresment. Upon seeing him, Fei had blurted out that he couldn't be a doctor, he probably wasn't out of school yet! That had been one of the two times he had ever seen Doctor Uzuki blush. (The other was when Doc had stumbled in on him in his old bathtub. Doc had nearly been about to combust from his blush then.)  
  
Citan had finally found the angle he was looking for and informed the newlyweds that he was about to take the picture. Alice and Timothy smiled brightly, and a bright flash was barely seen against the shining sun. Citan gave the couple his trademark soft smile, and told them that his photography was done.  
  
Fei really wished that someday he might find someone that loved him, but he doubted it would ever happen. He watched as Doc began dismantling the camera equipment with machinelike effeciency. As if notified by his stare, Citan turned around and smiled at Fei.  
  
"Fei! I underestimated the difficulty of carrying these things up and down a mountain by myself. Would you mind helping me carry the equipment back to my house? If you help, I am sure that Yui would not mind making an extra place for dinner tonight..."  
  
Fei smiled widely. He would get to eat Yui's cooking!  
  
"Would I ever, Doc! Just tell me what to carry!"  
  
He doubted he would ever find someone to love in the future. But that was the future. The present was now, and all that mattered now was helping Doctor Uzuki take stuff up the mountain so he could eat Yui's cooking.  
  
That was all that mattered for a good life, right?  
  
~TBC~  
  
AN: The plot bunny bit me hard. Well, this will probably continue at the snail pace most of my other multi-parters do. Oh well. I'm getting them done, I swear! And yes, this will be *yaoi*. The pairing is not too hard to guess form the setting, but I'll reveal it next chapter. If you don't like yaoi or the pairing, then you're free to stop reading. Don't blame me for our differing tastes. 


	2. Chapter Two

AN: Yay, next chapter! Woo-hoo! A reviewer pointed out to me that some missplet words were in the first chapter. Well, the writing program I'm using doesn't have spellcheck (Word has decided it doesn't like me anymore) so I sometimes forget how to spell a word. That, and typo demons plague me everywhere I go. (I think too fast for my fingers.) So, gomen nasai for any blatant mistakes! It's prolly a typo, or Mi-chan being stupid. ^^;;;; Now, on to the chapter! But first, a mini-scene for you to enjoy! ^o^  
  
Mini-Scene:  
  
Elly: Well, um, Fei, it's just that....I really think we should have some space.  
  
Fei: What!?  
  
Elly: Well, we should, um, start seeing other people...  
  
Fei: I'm a schizophrenic. I AM OTHER PEOPLE!!!!  
  
(Fei turns into Id and starts chasing Elly.)  
  
Elly: Eek!  
  
The End.  
  
Ha! Some comedian did that line in his/her act. (I was listening in over the phone) It struck me as really appropriate for a humor thing for Fei and Xenogears. ^o^;;; Now, we really will get started.  
  
Chapter Two  
  
Fei leaned back in his chair, sighing contentedly. Yui's cooking was the best. Doc sure was lucky to have such a good cook for a wife. Although, with what Citan managed to cook, maybe it had been a survival instinct to find someone who could cook. Fei had had the displeasure of tasting Doc's cooking. It really didn't help that he had watched Doc cook it as well. Fei hadn't thought that it was possible to burn water, but Doc proved him wrong on that one.  
  
"Finally full, Fei?" Yui's motherly smile brought an answering one from Fei.  
  
"Yeah, thanks! You're the best cook in the world, Yui!"  
  
She chuckled. "Well, my offer still stands. I really would not mind cooking for you everyday, Fei."  
  
He shook his head. "Oh, no! Your cooking is really good, but I really don't want to burden you like that! You have enough work to do feeding your family!"  
  
"You're too kind, Fei. It would be no trouble."  
  
Fei stood his ground. "I couldn't possibly! I don't want to be impolite."  
  
Yui sighed, but smiled at Fei to indicate she was touched by his concern. "Thank you, Fei, for being so considerate. I guess I'll let it slide for now. But remember, the offer is always standing!"  
  
Fei grinned. "Yeah, I know, thanks Yui!"  
  
Citan had been watching the small cute scene unfold between his wife and Fei. Now he stood up, drawing their attention.  
  
"Well, Fei, it is getting dark. Normally I would suggest that you return to the village as soon as possible, but I just remembered that you have your yearly examination tomorrow. As it is dark and I do not want you exhausting your strength running up and down this mountain, would you care to stay the night?"  
  
Fei blinked. He had forgotten totally about that! "Well, but wouldn't I be burdening you?"  
  
Citan smiled. "Not at all. Midori, would you mind if you slept with your mother and I tonight? Fei needs a bed."  
  
Midori crossed her arms and glared, a clear sign of refusal. Citan sighed.  
  
"Midori..."  
  
Yui interrupted the small battle of wills. "Do not worry about it Citan. I will sleep with Midori in her room. You and Fei can sleep in our room."  
  
Fei looked horrified. "Yui, I can't kick you out of your own bed!"  
  
She shook her head and smiled. "Don't worry! Midori and I will have a girl's night, won't we Midori?"  
  
The solemn little girl looked at her mother, blinked, then nodded slowly. Citan turned towards Fei.  
  
"Well, it is decided then. I am sorry Fei, but Yui has made up her mind. You will be bunking with me tonight, I am afraid!"  
  
Fei looked at Citan, elements of displeasure at being impolite still on his face. "I guess I have no choice, huh Doc?"  
  
The doctor shook his head. "I am afraid not, Fei."  
  
Yui gave the room a bright smile. "Well, now that that's decided, who is up for a game of cards?"  
  
~***~  
  
Fei followed Citan up the stairs. Yui had already taken a sleeping Midori to her room, wishing Fei and Citan a good night. The stars were especially bright tonight, shining like diamonds in the inky velvet of the night sky. Something felt different about tonight, Fei decided. Something was going to happen tonight. Something important.  
  
"Fei, do you want the beds pushed apart?[1]"  
  
Doc's voice jerked him back from his thoughts. "Ahh, no, that's okay. I don't want to be anymore trouble...."  
  
Citan shrugged. "It is no trouble, but if you are fine with it...well, shall we get ready for sleep?"  
  
Fei shifted his weight. "Well, ahh, but I don't have anything to sleep in..."  
  
"You may borrow some sleepwear of mine. They might not fit perfectly, but it is better than nothing, right?"  
  
"Ah, I suppose so."  
  
Citan got up and rummaged through a drawer. Withdrawing some clothes, he handed them to Fei.  
  
"Here, you may use these. You can use the storeroom just outside for a changing room if you wish."  
  
Fei blushed a little, the reddening barely noticeable on his tanned cheeks. "Doc....you're being too kind. You and Yui...you're such nice people. I mean, I didn't ask for any kindness, but you're always ready with some advice or a pair of clothes or a bite of food...I feel as if I'm being too intrusive....I really don't want to be a freeloader..."  
  
The doctor stood beside Fei, placing his hand on the young man's shoulder. "Fei, we are doing this because we want to. You do not have to feel like you are intruding. You are always welcome here. Besides, you are a very nice young man. You are very considerate. Please, do not ever feel as if you are being impolite, because you never are. If you ever act impolite, Yui and I will surely tell you! And so far, we have had no reason to do so. Just relax. Now, go change! It is late, and you need your sleep!"  
  
"Doc..."  
  
"Go, go! I need to change as well, and I certainly can't do that with you standing there gaping at me like a landed fish!"  
  
That got Fei blushing and out the door.  
  
~***~  
  
Doc was right, they didn't fit perfectly. Doc was taller than him by three or four inches, so the sleeves and legs were too long. And despite his height, the doctor was as thin as a stick. Had the clothes fitted comfortably on Citan, Fei would have been bursting out of them with his more solid build. Thankfully, the shirt was meant to hang loose on Citan, and so Fei was comfortable in it. The pants had an elastic waistband, which was good, or else Fei wouldn't have been able to get them on. They were nice, though. Cream-colored with blue trim, and made out of some soft flowing material.  
  
Fei opened the storeroom and walked outside. Cold night air hit him and he shivered. This material, while nice, definately wasn't the warmest around. He knocked on the bedroom door, hoping that Citan was finished.  
  
"Come on in. Fei."  
  
Fei nearly ran through the door, swiftly closing it and rubbing his hands. He turned around to face Citan and his jaw nearly dropped.  
  
Citan was clad in apparel similar to his own, only these were a solid velvety green, so dark it looked black in the places light did not hit. Doc had taken off the small red ribbon that normally donned the end of his hair and had replaced it with a larger green one that was tied at the base of his neck. His glasses had been removed, their absence made the doctor look even younger.  
  
Citan cocked his head as he noticed Fei staring at him. "Fei...?"  
  
Fei jerked out of his trance, and blushed heavily as he realised that he had been caught staring. He tried to say something, but all that came out were soft sputters.  
  
"Fei, are you all right?"  
  
Fei's brain finally reconnected with his body. "Ahh, yeah, I'm fine, Doc. Just a little tired. Can we go to bed now?" Fei wanted the darkness to hide his flushed face from the doctor's keen eyes.  
  
Citan smiled. "Of course, Fei. Your bed is on the left. I will turn off the lights, so go get comfortable."  
  
Thankful that Doc had seemed to miss his blush, Fei quickly went to the bed and slipped under the covers. The lights blinked out and darkness fell over the room. Fei listened as soft rustles indicated that Citan had settled in as well.  
  
"Good night, Fei."  
  
"Night, Doc."  
  
Now Fei had time to consider his reaction to Doc's appearence. Quite frankly, he had been floored. He had always known that Citan was a good- looking man, but he had never thought that he could look simply....beautiful.  
  
That thought caused Fei's blush to return full force. He was extra thankful that it was dark and he was facing away from Citan.  
  
He was very surprised by that thought. Fei had never been attracted to, or even remotely interested in another man before. But now....  
  
*Fei* He thought sternly to himself. *You will bury those thoughts right now! Not only are you a guy, but Doc is a married man! He's not even attracted to you in any way! So you will go to sleep and forget this!*  
  
He did a fair job of convincing himself. In an hour, he was asleep with the full assurance that his feelings would be gone by morning. But whether Fei liked it or not, the seed of something bigger had been planted. It didn't want to be ignored, and so Fei was haunted with dreams of chasing something elusive until morning.  
  
~TBC~  
  
AN: This chapter was entirely dedicated to establishing my pairing. I like that pairing. I could so see it. But not many people agree with me...;_;....review?  
  
[1] When I went into the bedroom in Citan's house, two beds were pushed together. I assumed that each bed was for either Yui or Citan, soo....of course, Midori doesn't have a room, so I could be wrong and she could sleep there, but I don't care. It works better in my world.  
  
Next chapter coming as soon as I can write it! 


	3. Chapter Three

AN: Well, new chapter. :/ yeah, this rant is in response to a review. No, this is *not* going to be just a yaoi story. I am actually rewriting the story of Xenogears (I've been told I rewrite stuff well) so that Fei and Citan end up together. (I hate Elly. I really do. She's just so....worthless! Argh!) So the entire cast will be there, and it will have the same goal as the game did, but with *yaoi*! Ha! Soo...yeah, I get to the plot in this one. Woo. I plan to introduce someone in this chapter...and it won't be Elly! ^^ Think of the person you meet after Elly...and no! The pairing is *not* Fei/Bart! How anyone came up with that, I'm not sure. yeah, I kinda wax flowerly in this chapter. -_-  
  
Chapter Three  
  
Citan slowly awoke to an unaccustomed warmth. Yui and he usually didn't sleep near each other, but sometimes they ended up together. Assuming that was the cause, he cracked open an eye to see if his wife was awake, and froze.  
  
Yui didn't have brown hair.  
  
Yui didn't have tanned skin.  
  
Yui didn't wear her hair in a ponytail.  
  
Yui wasn't a male.  
  
And Yui was most definately *not* Fei.  
  
Citan blinked, trying to remember how Fei got here. Ah, yes. He had invited Fei to stay the night, and they had ended up bunking together. Fei must have rolled over in his sleep, and had wrapped himself around Citan in his sleep. So, that was harmless. Having figured out that problem, he was confronted with another, slightly larger one.  
  
How was he going to get out of this?  
  
Fei had tangled his arms and legs with Citan's so thoroughly that if Citan tried to get out or roll over, Fei would awake. That would be bad.  
  
Staring at the top of Fei's head in frustration, the doctor's mind raced to come up with a solution that would not compromise either his or Fei's dignity.  
  
He was still like that, mind frantically working, when Fei began to stir.  
  
*The desert, aboard the sandcruiser Yggdrasil*  
  
The Yggdrasil was above the sand this particular time, and it hummed softly as it seemed to glide over the desert. On it's deck, a lean figure stood at the front, the wind whipping long golden strands free of their braided prison. The owner of said strands was too deep in thought to worry over the escaping hairs, and ignored them as more continued to fall free. He stared across the seemingly endless sea of sand, feeling a vague unease settle within him. He didn't notice the tall figure approaching from behind until it spoke to him.  
  
"Young master? Any particular reason you're brooding out here?"  
  
The voice startled him, and he whirled around. He relaxed when he saw who it was.  
  
"Sigurd! Don't scare me like that!"  
  
The man named Sigurd shook his head softly, causing the wind to catch hold of the silvery strands of his hair. "I am sorry, young master, but you looked so serious, that I couldn't help but see if you were all right. You look very worried about something."  
  
The young master, whose true name was Bart, mirrored his first mate's action and shook his head.  
  
"I'm sorry, Sig. It's just that.." He trailed off, and turned to look back over the desert. "I just have this wierd feeling that I can't shake."  
  
Sigurd cocked his head, concern written across his elegant features. "And just what would that feeling be, young master?"  
  
Bart let a small frown slide across his features. "I don't know. It's just like....have you ever been in a situation where something bad didn't happen, but you're even more worried because something worse is going to happen, and you knew how to deal with the first one but not the second one?"  
  
"I can't say that I have."  
  
The golden young man sighed, letting his head hang a little. "I just have this feeling that we escaped something terrible, but now something even worse is going to happen, and that we're not going to be able to deal with it."  
  
He turned back towards the front of the ship, watching the shimmering horizon with worry. Lost once again in his own thoughts, Bart didn't notice Sigurd quietly leaving.  
  
Once back inside the Yggdrasil, Sigurd leaned against the wall, contemplating the other's words.  
  
"'Something even more worse'? But how can it be worse, if we don't know how bad the original thing was in the first place? I wonder if "they" have had something to do with this...?"  
  
*Aboard Gebler's aerial battleship*  
  
She stared in disbelief. It couldn't be.  
  
The hallways were empty, totally devoid of any life. The silence seemed to grow and darken until it was a sound itself. A sound that echoed endlessly off empty walls.  
  
It was impossible. There *had* been a person there....  
  
But no, there was no one around. If it weren't for her own presence, one would say that this place was deserted.  
  
But he was just there....  
  
Turning around, Elhaym Van Houten fled back into her room, running from a terror that she didn't know why she was feeling.  
  
~*TBC*~  
  
AN: Wheee, that last bit about Elly was totally random. It just popped into my head and I wrote. I think I kow how I'll characterize her form now on. ^^;;  
  
reviews? Flames? Chocolate-covered bishie? 


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